Don't be fooled by the drop in diesel fuel prices in the past year. Even with the temporarily lower prices at the pump, the case for switching to Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) remains as powerful as ever. For companies that rely on rented trucks, let's look one by one at the three primary benefits of natural gas trucks-fuel savings and economy, increased national energy security, and protection of the environment-to see if there's a strong business case for you to rent alternative fuel trucks.
How would you like to lower your fleet's fuel costs? Some industry estimates have found that using NGVs can reduce fleet fuel costs and provide long term fuel cost stability which enables more accurate fuel cost forecasting.
No matter which number is right for your fleet, one thing is clear: natural gas can help your bottom line. Natural gas for truck fuel comes in two forms, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), with CNG typically costing about $1 less per gallon than LNG.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) believes the switch to NGVs is worth your while. Noting that fleet trucks have to perform in the field and in terms of return on investment, the DOE recently wrote: "Investments in new technologies such as CNG must pay for themselves over time to be a viable choice. Lower and more stable fuel prices for CNG relative to diesel provide this payback opportunity and save the fleets considerable amounts of money."
Energy SecurityBoth CNG and LNG are mixtures of hydrocarbon gases such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane-and all are domestically plentiful in North America. That not only drives down costs, it reduces the dependency on foreign oil imports, which is THE prime issue for national energy security.
According to the DOE's Alternative Fuels Data Center, "...the United States imports about 33% of the petroleum it consumes, and transportation accounts for more than 70% of total U.S. petroleum consumption. With much of the world's petroleum reserves located in politically volatile countries, the United States is vulnerable to supply disruptions."
Natural gas, however, stands poised to be a great security solution. According to the DOE, "Because U.S. natural gas reserves are abundant (250 year supply), this alternative fuel can be domestically produced and used to offset the petroleum currently being imported for transportation use."
Protecting the EnvironmentFor many NGV proponents, protecting the environment outranks either cost savings or energy security-and for good reason: NGVs produce less toxic emissions than diesel trucks. And though diesel emissions have gotten cleaner since 2010 when Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and similar technologies were federally mandated, diesel exhaust will never be as clean as CNG exhaust.
Check out these pertinent facts, compiled by the educational website CNGnow.com -
NGVs improve air quality through dramatic reductions in emissions, such as:- Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 20% to 30%
- Reducing carbon monoxide (CO) emissions up to 75%
- Reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by approximately 50%
- Reducing up to 95% of particle matter (PM) emissions
- Reducing volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions by 55%
In numerous studies of Class 8 NGVs, several common advantages jump out, including:
- NGV trucks are cleaner and quieter - Drivers have been known to gush about not having to wear earplugs because NGV engines run far quieter than diesel. Then there's the absence of diesel fumes. Due to these points, some studies have even linked driver satisfaction to increased productivity. They also love driving the latest technology.
- NGV trucks fuel up more quickly - Overnight fueling systems common to NGV facilities allow drivers to spend less time fueling at shift's end.
- Greater attractiveness of "green" fleets for certain contracts - Companies are finding that their use of NGVs is a competitive advantage when bidding on certain contracts, especially lucrative government and municipal jobs.
Thinking of switching to NGV rentals? Ryder has Natural Gas Vehicles available to lease to rental customers-and the fueling options to support them. Additionally, newer-model commercial NGVs have longer ranges and lower maintenance costs because diesel exhaust after-treatment systems are not required.
Perhaps the biggest advantage for companies renting NGV trucks (as opposed to owning or leasing)? You don't bear the up-front acquisition costs of these advanced vehicles. That reason alone has lowered the entry barrier for many commercial trucking firms to realize fuel savings, all while doing their part for national energy independence, security and environmental conservation.
